Wondering how to discover the best perennials for your garden site? Today there are thousands of beautiful perennials which can be used to create the flower garden of your dreams. No matter what growing zone you are living in there are many plant varieties that will continue to bring you pleasure throughout the coming years.

Consider adding phlox to your garden if you are searching for perennials that offer maintenance free color. These are flowers that can easily withstand prolonged drought, wind, cold and excessive heat. In very hot, dry conditions you should water these plants at least once a week. Phlox begins to bloom in mid-summer and continues to produce a bounty of flowers until the autumn months arrive. You can experiment with some of the different colors such as pink, variegated, purple and white. There are even a few fragrant varieties.

Coneflower is a native US plant that is easily adaptable to almost any growing conditions. These perennials thrive in the most demanding environments and are able to withstand heat, cold and prolonged drought. If you want to add a maintenance-free perennial to your cutting garden the coneflower would be an excellent choice. Purple coneflower is the most common color but newer species have been developed in shades of white, yellow, pink and orange. Hummingbirds, butterflies and bees are always attracted to these vibrant blossoms.

Rose campion is another versatile perennial plant. These flowers grow close to the ground the first year and display silvery-green leaves that have a fuzzy texture. The second year the leaves reappear and this time they will develop tall flower shoots topped by crimson blossoms. Rose campion is a prolific self-seeding plant and is ideal for cottage gardens or rock gardens.

Sedum is one of the top choices when you want to find the best perennials for your garden. Autumn Joy is a dependable plant that can tolerate full sun to shade. Sedums can be propagated easily from divisions or cuttings. The succulent leaves provide attractive garden foliage and many of these plants produce showy blossoms from summer to autumn. These garden perennials die back to the ground during the winter but are quick to return each spring. Purchasing the best weed eater on the market to clean up your garden.

A safe bet for most gardens is the lovely hibiscus plant. These flowers are easy to grow and most varieties are able to tolerate brief periods of drought. Perennial hibiscus are available in shades of pink, red, yellow, orange, peach and white. Some varieties produce blossoms with incredible diameters of 8-12 inches.

Coreopsis is a lovely, airy plant that can thrive in poor soil. These perennial plants offer lacy foliage and bright blossoms in shades of orange and yellow. If your backyard offers full sunshine during the day then coreopsis is one of the best perennials for your garden.

Asiatic lilies, day-lilies and Oriental lilies are dependable perennials that provide extremely showy flower displays each year. These plants are available in a wide range of colors. You can also find day-lilies boasting single, double or ruffled petals.

Perennials can be combined with shrubs, herbs and annuals to create stunning floral displays that deliver fragrance and bold colors from spring until fall. Be aware of the mature sizes that each plant will achieve and space them far enough apart so that they have room to grow properly. Fill in the open areas with groundcover plants, mulch or annuals to prevent your garden from appearing too sparse.

Make sure that the perennials you select are suited to your garden site. Look at the flower colors and choose complimentary hues. For instance yellow coreopsis and purple phlox are an excellent color combo to plant in any garden site. When you add perennials to your home and yard you are investing in plants that will reward you with fragrance, beautiful blossom displays and bold, brilliant colors for many years.

When the rainy season comes, you likely have stared outside and thought about all that water coming off your roof. Instead of letting it merely drain off down the street, you could have a rain garden of your very own. So today, in sharing gardening tutorials, we’re showing you how to set up your own rain garden for your own home.

Choose where you would like your garden

When selecting where your new garden will go, be sure to go with a spot that is set back from your house and doesn’t naturally flood. This will ensure that your garden does its best without interfering with other parts of your yard. Next, dig a small test section to see how well the area holds water. The best way to determine this is to dig down a couple feet and fill the hole halfway with water. If after waiting half a day, the water has drained 6 inches or more, it’s a good spot. You’re ready to get started!

Outline the boundaries of the garden

When creating the outline for your garden, keep in mind that you can always add on later, so it’s best to start a little smaller than you might anticipate. 80-100 square feet is a good size to start. Consider using curves and bends to highlight the natural feel of the area, instead of squaring any parts of it off. You’ll also want to mark off which part of the garden the water will come in from.

Clear and dig out the area for your garden

First, remove all the grass from the area you’ve marked off. You can do this by using a manual twist tiller. Also, to make the job easier, you can lay down some pieces of cardboard a few days earlier. This will help weaken the grass beforehand. Once you’ve removed all the grass by hand, use a shovel to dig out about a foot and a half of the soil, making sure to keep it all as even as possible.

Create an area to add your piping

You’ll also want to include a small trench for your inlet pipe, which will bring water from your roof to your new garden. Connect your pipe from the downspout of your roof to the trench you’ve created and add some natural stones around it to slow the force of the water, which can become great during heavy rain. Now you’re ready to cover the pipe and trench with soil.

Fill with soil your garden with soil

There are many considerations for soil types, but for this gardening tutorial, we recommend 2-to-1 ratio of compost to your regular soil, as long as your yard does not have excess clay. However, because every area of the country is different, it’s important to keep in mind your unique area and the plants you’ll be adding to your garden.

Select and add your plants

Now for the most fun part: choosing which plants you’d like to include. With so many choices today, you’ll likely have a lot to consider. Native plants will do the best, but also consider how you’ll be placing the in your garden, keeping center-most plants as the ones that do best in wettest conditions.

Mulch and other decorative elements

Once you have your plants in, you’re ready for the final stage of this gardening tutorial. Adding a little mulch is always a safe bet for keeping your garden looking its best. Also, consider adding decorative element like larger stones or statues to create a focal point to the design.

These attractive gardens are the perfect way to take advantage of all the rain coming off your home. They also make your yard look wonderful in the process before the rain filters on to its final destination. Enjoy your new space!